Sir: There is indeed no English equivalent word to describe
‘haltlose’ personalities
(
Cullivan, 1998). The word
indicates a drifting, aimless and irresponsible lifestyle: a translation might
be ‘lacking a hold’ (on life or onto the self).

This personality has, in English-speaking countries, been described as
“the unstable psychopath”
(
Slater & Roth, 1979).
Schneider (
1992) used the
descriptor “Willenlose Psychopathen”, indicating the
absence of intent or rather a ‘lack of will’. People with chronic
alcohol dependency have been said, not uncommonly, to have haltlose
personality disorder.

Those with haltlose personality disorder have features of frontal lobe
syndrome, sociopathic and histrionic personality traits.

He or she lacks concentration and persistence and lives in the present
only. His or her immediate affects, moods and interests rule completely; he or
she has no interest in the future, and no hold in the past: in this sense he
or she is quite at mercy of the environment. He or she is certainly easily
persuaded, and is often led astray by the surrounding persons, sometimes
criminals.

He or she mixes well with sociopaths as he or she also has an inability to
learn from experience, and no sincere sense of remorse for his or her
actions.

In common with the histrionic personality he or she has a number of
endearing qualities: charming with an apparent emotional warmth, but also an
enhanced suggestibility and a superficiality of affect. He or she is usually
overoptimistic and pleasant to be with. This makes him or her quite a likeable
character, the ‘lovable rogue’ which we sometimes see in our
substance misuse clinic.